


The Perfect Rescue

by That_One_Person_We_All_Know



Category: Subnautica (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Ending, An actual good ending, Contains swearing - Freeform, Everyone’s ages are in their mid to late twenties, Friends/Family relationships, Im writing the story so you can see Ryley and Avery as Friends/Family or a ship, Imagine it like a road trip but in space lmao, It can be a Ryley/Avery if you want to ship them, Mentions of Death, Quarantine Enforcement Platform (QEP), Read notes/descriptions for more details, Ryley will have to tell them about how they almost died, Subnautica, The Sunbeam, The Sunbeam crew basically sees all close friends as family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-10-07 00:42:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17355722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_One_Person_We_All_Know/pseuds/That_One_Person_We_All_Know
Summary: Ryley Robinson was a man that survived the near fatal crash landing of the Aurora. A young man who had survived through sheer will alone. That is, until he is given hope from his own radio when a broadcasted message comes in from a trading ship, the Sunbeam. With only a limited amount of time to stop the Quarantine Enforcement Platform and his own bacteria infection, the Kharaa, he knows he has to save the Sunbeam. He has to escape this planet. He not only wants to save those precious six lives, but his own sanity. He knows that he’s going to get the ending he wants and deserves, even if he has to fight for it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please keep in mind that this story is not canon, and that I don’t own any of the actual characters or references, I only own the story and ideas.
> 
> This is an idea based on the depiction of a speed run, where Ryley collects the anti-bacterium enzymes and is able to disable the QEP before the sunbeam arrives. It’s also the idea of a sort of ‘alternate ending’ that is gifted to players who perform a speed run.
> 
> This story will have multiple POVs. No, there won’t be a player POV in the story even if it’s based on a speed run idea. The characters are their own people in this.
> 
>  
> 
> Tumblr: that-one-person-we-all-know

He did it.

He couldn’t believe that he actually fucking did it.

Ryley was currently standing on an island, overlooking the late afternoon sun over the water. He could smell the salty breeze in the air and feel the sand underneath his feet, but nothing soothing seemed to calm his nerves. He felt clammy all over with shaking hands as he ran towards a tall, metallic structure in the short distance. Cold sweat seemed to trickle along the back of his neck to the hemline of his suit collar. He couldn’t believe that he managed to cure himself of the Kharaa. He reached the inside of the foreign alien base, sprinting past glowing green cubes, Ion cubes, and deserted alien weapon ware.

Ryley was completely nervous, yet he was extremely excited. Glancing down at his miniature green scars, fading at a rapid pace he notes, he slowly begins to walk up to the Deactivation Terminal. He gently reaches out a some-what now steady hand, and waits for the device to grab his arm. He feels the prickle of the thick, sharp needle and stifles back a pained groan.

It turned off. It really deactivated itself. He barely had time to soak in the green light fading before he realized his PDA was still counting down. He was so damn happy and felt so thankful. He raced outside the dreadful QEP, nearly tripping along the way. His PDA had messaged him about a local broadcast transmission from the Sunbeam just as his feet crashed through the sand. He could see a spec in the distance, the oh so familiar sense of sunlight reflecting off of metal.

He could here the radio message, “I don’t believe it, there’s someone down there!” Ryley couldn’t stop the joyful sobs coming from his throat. He was shaking now as heavy, long tears streaked down his cheeks. He almost collapsed onto his knees before resorting to holding himself. Despite knowing they could see him perfectly fine, he still waved his arms back-and-forth while smiling ear to ear. He could barely make out the voice of Capt. Avery Quinn over his own short gasps and choking. He forced himself to try and breathe as he recognized the familiar mans voice saying a countdown over his PDA.

“Oh thank god.” Ryley stated as he watched the Sunbeam slowly descend onto the sand near the water. He didn’t care if the harsh sand being thrown in the air from the winds whipped his face. He didn’t care if the salty tears of his eyes soaked their way into small cuts and burned. He was just so... Happy. There was no other way for him to describe the feeling, that after days of tossing in his sleep, that after weeks of dreading his mind breaking, that he was being rescued!

He didn’t notice how he practically limped and stumbled into the arms of a blurry man with Avery's voice. He didn’t notice how despite how damn tired he was, he still gripped the blurry man with a hug so tight he nearly collapsed. He was still crying and trying to calm down as his arms wrapped over the other young mans shoulder, slowly making his way over to what his mind only knew as rescue.

He couldn’t believe he was cured of the Kharaa.

He couldn’t believe he disabled the QEP.

He couldn’t fucking believe that he saved the Sunbeam and himself.

He couldn’t believe it, and that’s what made it so much more exciting.

Despite what this Avery was saying to him as they walked towards freedom, he couldn’t stop himself from thanking the other man for... well, everything. “Thank you, Thank you, Thank you so much..” Ryley practically kept mumbling to a man who’s features were now forming with the clearing of his tears. He noticed the look Capt. Avery gave him for this. He saw the guilt and shame in Avery’s eyes. He could only hope the Captain didn’t blame himself for what was said in his first broadcast message. “Don’t worry about it, it’s no problem Mr... ?” Ryley just barely smiled for a brief moment at Avery. “Robinson. Mr. Ryley Robinson.”


	2. A New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryley Robinson isn’t a fool, and he knows that he has to take care of himself now as all of his friends on the Aurora are dead. However, that doesn’t mean that he can’t have other people become his friends and help take care of him too. He thinks he’ll like this new ‘family.’ The silence and loneliness was the only thing that was really killing him for the three weeks that he was on planet 4546B.

It was silent. Completely silent. One would think that after a successful rescue mission, there would be a celebration of some sort; Apparently there wasn’t. Ryley Robinson wasn’t particularly talkative in the first place, but he hadn’t even said more than a few sentences earlier when he boarded the ship. Ryley meant them as words of comfort, but the more he thought about it, the more he could practically hear everyone’s thoughts around him.

________________________________

“It’s not your fault, Captain Quinn.” Ryley has said, “The crew members more than likely passed away when the Aurora had crashed.” Lies. There were survivors who could’ve been saved. “Besides, you all could’ve been killed if you arrived earlier.”

 Everyone in the room had stopped what they were doing to stare, probably wondering why Ryley could’ve talked so nonchalantly about the deaths of his crew mates. And then it hit them. Avery, already tapping his fingers against his thigh from guilt and anticipation, looked pale as blood rushed from his face. “What do you mean by, ‘we could’ve died,’ Robinson?”

 Ryley, quickly realizing his mistake, turned away from the suspicious tone. He practically sat motionless for a few seconds before gathering up the courage to speak. “The Quarantine Enforcement Platform. That’s what would’ve killed you had you arrived earlier. It’s a weapon that was created by now deceased aliens to stop any incoming or outgoing ships. It was built during the time of a bacterium outbreak called the Kharaa, which still existed until earlier today. If I hadn’t found the cure for the disease, so that I could’ve disabled the gun, the QEP would’ve blown the Sunbeam into mere particles.”

 Ryley looked back at Avery, only to find him frozen with his hands in his lap. Avery may have looked unbothered, but Ryley could see a terror in his eyes. The same terror Ryley felt when he found out that all of his crew mates had died. Ryley took a chance to look around the room only to find people turning back towards their stations in an attempt to either distract themselves, or not have to look at him.

 Avery Quinn let out an exhausted sigh before getting up from his own spot. “I see,” he had simply stated before walking off towards one of his members.

Ryley felt awful with how he seemed to be judged, and tried an attempt to redeem himself. “I tried to contact all of you, I really did. I just wasn’t able to use any outgoing comms.” He was practically stuttering while saying this. He really should’ve tried talking more after the crash.

 “It’s okay, we get it.” This was all that Ryley was able to get from Avery at that moment, assuming that he would have another moment to properly explain himself without stuttering out another shitty excuse. Saying that Ryley felt bad was a complete understatement.

_______________________________

 With his mind now back to the present,Ryley Robinson looked up from his stare at the floor to see Avery offering him a bag of chips. It was mainly an act of kindness to offer the guest something to eat, but Ryley assumed that he also looked like shit from his unexpected vacation. With his new diet, he thought that Avery might’ve believed he was anorexic or something. Pfft, Like starving himself to look better was his main concern during his survival.

 “Thank you, Captain Quinn.” Ryley stated with a genuine smile gracing his lips. He took the bag from Avery as the other man sat down next to him, having his own chips in-hand. Ryley had thought for a minute before stating, “I meant what I said earlier. I really am sorry, I was stuck on the Auroras’ radio channel; I could only receive incoming messages.”

 Avery gave him a bemused look before settling into a sad smile. “And I meant what I said earlier too. It’s okay, I get it, things happen. I’m just glad that you told us earlier, it showed that you at least trusted us.” Ryley nodded his head at this before situating himself back into a peaceful silence.

 He couldn’t eat the chips though. He’d rather eat a Reaper Leviathan than a reminder at the life he had lost. He felt like sobbing at the memory of sneaking out with a few others at night to get chips at an Alterra vending machine. If they didn’t have work the next day, he and his friends would stay up all night, chatting away with chips and soda until daylight came or until they were caught. He felt a tear roll down his cheek before he handed the chips back to Avery.

 “Thanks again for the chips, but, they just bring up too many... memories I guess.” He missed his old life in the Aurora like crazy, but maybe it was taken away for a good reason. “That’s alright Mr. Robinson, if you get hungry just let me know, I’ll show you around later since you’ll be stuck with us for a few days.” Avery let out a small chuckle at this.

 “Hey, Captain Quinn?” Ryley asked as Avery was getting up, dusting imaginary dust off of his pants out of a habit. Avery looked over just as Ryley gave him a quick hug before letting go. “Thank you, for everything that you’ve done. Whether you’ve believed it or not, you and your crew have been very helpful. Sometimes even just listening to your voice helped me get through the past three weeks. And it’s Ryley now, you don’t have to call me Robinson anymore.”

 Avery seemed relieved at the thought of Ryley not hating him for the first message he sent over the radio. “You’re welcome Ryley, I’m glad that my crew and I were able to assist you in some way. Also, if I’m calling you Ryley, you can call me Avery just like everyone else here.” Avery seemed to be thinking about something particular before giving Ryley another ear-to-ear grin. “How about I show you around now anyway? Like I said earlier, you are going to be stuck with us for a few days until we can stop at the nearest phase gate.”

  Ryley got up to follow Avery around the ship as he pointed out different things to know and remember. Perhaps he’d figure out how to eat chips and crack open a cold one with the boys again. Maybe it really was for a good reason, Ryley thought. Maybe it was so that I could start a new life with these new people.

 “That sounds like a plan, Avery.”

 

 

 


End file.
